Pete Carroll says Russell Okung is 'sending a message'

It wasn't only the fact that Russell Okung played a major part in neutralizing two of the NFL's best pass-rushers in consecutive weeks that impressed Pete Carroll, but also the way he did it.

More specifically, the attitude Seattle's left tackle did it with.

Russell Okung

"Russell's really going, he's really going. If you look back and you want to see some stuff, watch Russell finish," Carroll told "Brock and Salk" on Monday, saying that "not only is he blocking his guy with his feet flying and his intensity and his body lean, he's sending a message, which really contributes. We're really trying to get that across."

That message might be sent in the form of an extra shove Okung gives a defender toward the end of the play, which he seems do be doing more often.

Whatever Carroll is seeing from Okung, he didn't see it last season. Okung, the sixth overall pick, came to camp late after a holdout then played in only 10 regular-season games as a rookie, missing six with two separate ankle sprains.

"That's not what Russell was like last year," Carroll said. "He was still just trying to figure it out. And [now] you can see him on a whole different level of a competitive nature. It's really paying off and it's bleeding into other guys' play as well."

Okung drew DeMarcus Ware and Terrell Suggs the last two weeks and didn't allowed a sack to either. He was flagged for holding against Baltimore, but the penalty was declined.